Kindred Spirits
by Olleander
Summary: Yugito betrayed the Hidden Cloud to do the right thing. In exchange, all she asked for was a little peace and quiet, NOT the overly-energetic, ramen-obsessed jinchuuriki kid thrust under her protection. Then again, she always did want a family... [AU]
1. Prologue: Doing the Right Thing

**Kindred Spirits**

**Prologue_ - Doing the Right Thing_  
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><p>Hiruzen Sarutobi prided himself on being…somewhat of an excellent judge of character. It was a skill required as Hokage, and being able to read beneath the underneath was one of the basic principles of being a Shinobi.<p>

But this particular case was baffling. He let out a low hum, scratching his chin as he glanced at the scroll spread out upon his desk.

"And you're sure this is real?" the Hokage murmured, his eyes scanning the document.

"Yes, sir."

"And what of the kunoichi who brought it here?"

"She's being held in the ANBU headquarters. She offered no resistance and even allowed chakra suppressors to be placed."

The Third Hokage leaned back into his seat, removing the pipe from his mouth and exhaled smoke. This was definitely a peculiar case. "I see."

He turned his attention back to the scroll. It was a mission scroll, ranked as an S-Class top priority, heavily sealed and distributed only to the most elite ninja. S-Class missions were always difficult and extremely dangerous, and nearly impossible to intercept, but if this scroll was true, then Konoha would have a very serious problem on its hands.

The mission was to infiltrate the Hyuga Clan Compound and abduct its young heiress, Hinata Hyuga.

After a moment's consideration, the aged Hokage stood from his seat, a hand on his pipe. He held up his hand, and a figure dropped from above. Clad in the dark colors of ANBU, the man in the dog-faced mask bowed, "Hokage-sama."

"I'm going to visit our guest," Sarutobi muttered, walking past the crouched ANBU, "Let them know I'm coming."

"Yes, sir." The ANBU vanished. The Hokage gave one last sigh, blowing out one final smoke, before tucking the pipe into the folds of his robes. He was getting too old for this.

They had given her one of the more welcoming holding cells in the ANBU headquarters. For one, it actually had a bed and chairs. There was a small table on the side, with an empty plate of food and a glass of water. Good. They'd been hospitable. She sat on the bed, legs crossed, eyes closed in meditation. As soon as he walked through the door, her ears twitched and she slowly opened her eyes; oddly shaped, they were narrow and pointed at the ends, with long eyelashes. She was young, no older than seventeen, but the way she held herself was a testament to years of experience on the battlefield. Dressed in a form-fitting black bodysuit, Sarutobi noticed the empty clasps and buckles around her waist and legs; a sword holster and kunai pouches were usually placed there. He supposed she allowed the ANBU to confiscate her weapons. His weary eyes opened ever so slightly as they glanced at her forehead.

A black headband was tied around it, hidden beneath blonde, side-swept bangs. It was blank.

"Hokage-sama," the kunoichi stood from her position and bowed.

"This is a strange sight," Sarutobi mused, taking a seat, "A ninja from Kumogakure, before our treaty is signed, bringing with her incriminating evidence of a wicked plot to take advantage of our peace." He intertwined his fingers, resting his elbows on the narrow armrests, "Tell me, what do you gain from revealing this plan to us…Yugito Nii?"

The blonde kunoichi raised her head, her eyes firm as they met the old Hokage's, "I know what they intend to do with her, and I refuse to let another child be used as a weapon."

The Hokage exhaled, "And what do you wish in return for this information?"

For a few moments, Yugito remained silent. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as though she was bracing herself for something terrible. "I only ask for asylum."

Sarutobi reclined in his seat, bringing his hands to his mouth in thought. If the mission to abduct Hinata Hyuga was true, then Yugito Nii had just betrayed her village. No doubt she'd be labelled as a missing-nin, and if she didn't seek asylum for protection within another Hidden Village, she'd be hunted by her own for the rest of her life. She might have just saved Konoha from a political mess, surely asylum was the least he could give in return. "I will consider your request. If what you have delivered to us is true, then there should be no problems."

She nodded slowly, "I understand."

"Very good. Until then, I will have to ask that you remain here for the time being."

The old Hokage stood up and turned to leave, his hands behind his back, when, "Hokage-sama."

"Hm?"

"Sir, I…" Yugito glanced at her hands, her brows furrowed, "You said you would consider granting me asylum, however, I think…this consideration would turn into a confirmation if…"

Sarutobi's eyebrow rose. "Speak. This room is sealed." All the ANBU holding cells were soundproof; unsightly things usually happened within them. There were two guards posted outside the door, but with the door closed, they wouldn't be able to hear a thing.

"With all due respect, I think you'll find it more beneficial to seriously consider it if it means adding a jinchuuriki that can control her tailed beast into your army."

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><p>Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking a small pebble across the nearly deserted road. He huffed, dropping his shoulders as he walked. It was late at night, and only a few people were out. He liked it like that; fewer people outside meant fewer people to stare. And yell. And call him names.<p>

Yeah, he liked the night.

Something happened in the village recently, and everyone put up a big fuss. Something to do with one of the Big Families, he figured, if everyone was so riled up. He knew it was probably something bad, but for Naruto, it was a relief. It took their minds off him for once. But now, things were back to normal, and everyone was back to the name calling and the hatred.

He rubbed the back of his head, "I'm hungry, 'ttebayo…" the boy murmured under his breath. It was too late for Ichiraku's to be open, and no stores that _were_ open would let him inside. Hokage-jiji usually asked his special ANBU ninja to go buy groceries for him, but with all the stuff that happened with the freaky family with the white eyes, he guessed Hokage-jiji was too busy and forgot. And the lady that was _supposed_ to watch him and be his caregiver probably didn't even know he was gone. Normal people wouldn't let a four-year-old just walk around by himself, but Naruto wasn't really normal at all. At least, he didn't think so.

With a yawn, Naruto rubbed his eyes. Maybe he'd go to bed and ask Hokage-jiji to buy him more groceries tomorrow. Just as the boy took another step, he bumped right into another person. Instantly, he went into the defensive.

"Ack!" Stumbling back, Naruto blinked as he looked up at the figure in front of him. She was taller than he was, and she was wearing a loose blue kimono, tied around her waist with a dark blue sash. She had blonde hair, but it was a lot lighter and a lot longer than his, pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"A kid?" she muttered, turning around to face him. The weird woman was young, but she was very pretty. Naruto thought she looked nice, but he knew better. He raised his arms over his face. "Hey, what are you doing that for?"

Huh? That was weird. The boy lowered his hands slightly, "You're not going to hit me?"

The lady tilted her head in confusion, "Why would I do that? Who hits children for simple accidents?" Naruto didn't answer. "Come here, you look terrible." She crouched down in front of the boy, "What's your name?"

"N…Naruto…"

"Well, Naruto, it's nice to meet you, I'm–"

Naruto stepped back, his hands raised in a pitiful defensive position, "You don't have to pretend to be nice to me, you know." No one was ever nice to him. He didn't know why everyone was so mean, but they just were. Only Hokage-jiji and some of his super-secret ANBU ninja didn't hate him, and that was a total of four people. Anyone who acted nice meant that they were probably going to beat him up later. And Naruto knew better than to just randomly trust a stranger like that. Hokage-jiji always told him to be careful, after all.

The lady frowned. Her expression was weird. Why was she sad? "I'm not pretending. I don't look like a witch, do I?"

No one was ever nice to him, especially not pretty ladies. When he walked past, they gave him the _worst_ looks. And mothers held their kids close and he could just barely hear them warning against going near him. Naruto never had friends, but he knew that would change as soon as he became Hokage. But why was this lady different?

"I'm new to the village. I'm sorry if I scared you."

Naruto's eyes grew wide. So _that's_ why! But Naruto didn't let his hopes get too high. The other adults would probably tell her to stay away from him, and she'd hate him just as much as they did. "Oh, it's okay, neechan! Konoha's nice and peaceful, and you'll have lots of fun here!" He grinned widely, holding his hands behind his head. Well, she was nice right now, so he should be nice to her too, right?

She smiled, placing a hand on his head, "Yeah, I think I'll like it here."

The boy scratched his nose, "I gotta go home now, but it was nice to meet you, neechan! Welcome to Konoha, 'ttebayo!"

There was a scuffle, interrupting the pretty lady before she could say anything. Turning his head, Naruto's eyes grew wide as he took a step back, raising his hands again. He liked nights because everyone was asleep, but that was also when all the _bad_ men came out. There were three of them, each one obviously drunk and stumbling. One of them had a bottle of sake, another had a pipe. The boy felt a lump in his throat, and his heart started to beat hard against his ribs.

"Oi, oi, look who's here," one of them slurred out, holding out an outstretched finger, pointing right at Naruto, "Hehe, we're gonna be heroes tonight, boys!"

The lady stood up, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, and Naruto thought he heard a quiet, angry hissing.

"Hey, sister," another one said, resting the pipe over his shoulder. He spit to the side, before grinning, "You look new 'round here, so we're gonna let you in on a little secret, eh?"

"What kind of secret?"

"You should get away from that brat."

"Oh? And why should I do that?" She gently pushed Naruto behind her, "Because I really have to wonder what kind of men would be so cowardly as to gang up on a small child."

Naruto's eyes grew wide, looking up at the woman. She was protecting him? Why was she doing that? The men weren't ninja, but they looked pretty big and tough. "N-Neechan, you don't have to…" The last thing he wanted was for someone else to get hurt because of him. And even if they beat him up, he always got better real quickly.

But she didn't have any of it. She turned her head, giving him a small, reassuring smile, "Don't worry. It's fine." She said, as her dark eyes slowly turned blue. Naruto was a bit too short to see it clearly, but he was pretty sure he saw a straight, black line running down her eye…it looked kinda like a weird cat. That was weird, was she like the freaky white eyed family too?

One of the men took another swig of the sake, emptying the bottle before wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve, "Looks like she wants to protect that _demon brat_. Feh, let her do what she wants. We'll just get both of them!"

The lady bent her knees, entering a taijutsu stance. She held out one hand, and the other was thrown in front of Naruto, in a protective gesture, "A demon brat, huh? If there's one thing I hate the most in this world, it's people who pick on the weak!" Naruto's eyes grew wide. What was this feeling…? It was angry…very angry, and it was immensely suffocating to a small boy like him. And this feeling was wrapped around the lady like a cloak, oozing out from her like water. She was a ninja? Why wasn't she wearing a headband, or the vest, or all the other stuff that ninjas usually wore? And even if she was a ninja, she was just one against three really big and tough-looking people. She'd have a hard time!

They lunged towards them. And there was a cloud of smoke.

"That's enough."

Naruto blinked, coughing slightly as the smoke cleared. Two of Hokage-jiji's ANBU stood between the men and the lady, catching their punches and weapons before they could even swing them. The look of horror on the men's faces told Naruto that they were about to get it _good_.

"How odd," the nice lady muttered under her breath, easing out of her taijutsu stance. The feeling that surrounded her slowly went away too, and Naruto realized that he'd been holding his breath all this time. "ANBU, at this hour?"

"We were just passing by," one of the ANBU, in a dog mask, replied. Dog-san was Naruto's favorite. "We couldn't help but notice."

"Go home." The other added, wearing a mask that looked like a weird bird thing, as he released one of the thugs' wrists. His partner did the same, and in an instant, the drunk men sobered up and fled, dropping whatever they were holding onto the ground. Naruto smiled and giggled quietly. Hokage-jiji's ANBU were the best. "Hokage-sama wants to see you."

"Eh? Me? Why?" Naruto asked, before Bird-san shook his head.

"Not you. Her."

The lady blinked, "Who, me?"

"Yes. I will escort you."

She nodded, turning to Naruto, "Well, I guess I have to go. I'll see you soon, right?"

"Yeah!"

"And maybe you can show me around the village, too."

A flash of confusion shot through Naruto's face, before quickly nodding and grinning widely, "You bet, neechan! I'll take you to Ichiraku's!" The lady smiled again before turning to Bird-san with a nod. The two of them disappeared, with Bird-san vanishing with a puff of smoke and leaves, and the lady with a bolt of lightning. Lightning? He'd never seen anyone use lightning for that jutsu before!

Naruto felt a hand on his head. Looking up, he saw Dog-san looking down at him. It was dark, but there was just enough light from the dim streetlamps and the moon for him to see Dog-san's spiky silver hair behind his mask. He'd always wondered what was under that mask, but Hokage-jiji always said that they were important to ANBU. So he didn't try pulling it off. Didn't mean he stopped _thinking_ about pulling it off. "Well, she was nice, wasn't she?"

The child nodded with a smile, "Yeah. I like her."

Dog-san chuckled, "Good. Then there won't be a problem."

"Eh?"

"Because she'll be taking care of you from now on."


	2. Ramen, and A Half-Gallon of Milk

**Kindred Spirits**

**Chapter 1 – **_**Ramen, and a Half-Gallon of Milk**_

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><p>Naruto looked at the clock. 9:15pm.<p>

Peeking around the corner, he saw a small stream of light from the crack beneath the bathroom door. He knew that in a few moments, he'd be able to hear the water running, and when that happened, he'd have exactly fifteen minutes to prepare, cook, and eat his precious ramen before getting caught. It had been a full five hours since his last bowl (a hearty beef ramen from Ichiraku) and Naruto was getting hungry.

The boy raced over to the kitchen and opened the cupboards, reaching inside and pulling out a bowl of instant ramen. All he needed to do was boil the water, pour it in, and wait for a few minutes. It was simple enough, and if he did it right, then he wouldn't be caught in the act. And he'd learned from experience that getting caught eating ramen when he wasn't supposed to was _never_ fun.

Naruto twiddled his thumbs, crouched beside the stove, watching the kettle intently. If he kept it on for too long, the water would boil and the kettle would whistle, but if he took it off too early, his ramen wouldn't cook fast enough. He groaned, hopping from one foot to another in impatience. Time was of the essence, here! "Come on, hurry up!" he whispered, clasping his hands together as if praying to Kami-sama himself, "Hurry and cook before neechan gets me!"

A minute passed. And another. Deciding that the water was hot enough for proper noodle-cooking, Naruto turned the heat off and pulled the kettle away from the stove, slowly pouring the steaming hot water into his cup of instant noodles. The water in the bathroom was still running, accompanied by a muffled attempt at singing. A cheshire grin slowly formed on Naruto's face. Singing usually meant he had about seven minutes left. And that was plenty of time.

"I-ta-da-ki-masu!"

Naruto peeled back the lid, the steaming broth of the noodles wafting out. He began to drool, raising his chopsticks in the air, ready to dig in, when…

"And what are you doing with that?"

Oh no.

Oh no, no, no…

"Ahahahaha…h-hey, neechan!" Naruto slowly turned his head, his eyes turning toward the hand around his raised wrist with a lopsided smile, "You finished your bath!"

Yugito Nii tilted her head, looking down at her adopted brother with narrowed eyes. Her waist-length hair was dripping wet down her back, and a towel was wrapped tightly around her body, held closed at the front with her other hand. A small puddle of water pooled around her bare feet, her left foot tapping against the floor. "You told me you were going to bed, Naruto."

"W-Well, yeah, I was going to bed, but then I got hungry!"

His sister raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "What are the ramen rules again?"

Naruto sighed, his shoulders dropping, "Not to eat it without you…"

"And what were you _just_ doing?"

"…eating it without you."

"And what happens after?"

"No ramen for a day…"

Yugito let go of Naruto's hand before crossing her arms over her chest, "Exactly." She'd have preferred a longer, ramen-free punishment, but she'd learned that if Naruto went for any longer than 24 hours without the stuff, it made for one _very_ cranky boy. And a cranky Naruto resulted in a _really _big headache.

"But neechan!" the boy pleaded, holding his hands together, "Can't I have it just this once? _Pleaseeeeeee_?"

The older blonde lowered her head, placing it in her hand in exasperation, "Naruto, ramen isn't good for you! If you keep eating that junk, you'll _never _grow tall." Yugito was about to continue her tirade, one that she'd repeated countless times in the past _week_ alone, before pausing. Naruto's eyes were glued to the ground, his legs swinging slightly from the chair that was still a little too tall for him. Usually by now, he'd have said something in defense of ramen, and that, coupled with his huge blue eyes and a childish pout, was usually enough push Yugito into just _agreeing_ with him, of course, _just this once_. But this time, he was strangely quiet, and that was worrying.

She bent down, one hand still gripping onto the towel tightly, while the other gently tipped his chin up to face her, "Hey, what's the matter?"

"I'm scared," The boy murmured under his breath, just loud enough for Yugito to hear.

"Scared? Did you have another bad dream?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, I'm not scared of the bad dreams anymore. I'm scared about tomorrow, neechan."

Yugito wanted to slap her forehead. Tomorrow was Naruto's first day in the Academy. How could she have forgotten? "Naruto, it's normal for kids to be scared on the first day of school. You'll do great tomorrow."

"That's not it, neechan! I have to go see other kids tomorrow…what if they don't like me?" His blue eyes met hers, and for once, Yugito was astonished. Instead of their usual vigour, they were filled with anxiety and worry. In the two years she'd spent with the boy, she'd never seen him this upset. He wasn't even this sad when he accidentally knocked over the giant bowl of pork ramen that one time two weeks ago. No, this was on a whole new scale, and Yugito wasn't sure how to deal with it.

"Naruto," the woman said gently, cupping his cheek with her free hand. She was sure this would be easier if she hadn't just exited the shower. "Of course the other kids will like you. You're a nice boy. You'll make friends, no problem!" Even with her around, Naruto still had trouble making friends. The villagers' fear and hate over his _tenant_ were stronger than her reputation and the respect she gained among the villagers, even with the Hyugas. They probably pitied the fact that someone like _her_ was _forced_ to take care of someone like _him_. Well, jokes on them. She thought it was unfair that unlike Naruto, _her_ tenant was kept secret outside from the Hokage, the Konoha Council and a few members of ANBU and high-ranking ninja. But after a while, she figured keeping it hidden was the best thing she could do for Naruto right now; it gave him some semblance of normality.

"Besides," Yugito continued, giving the boy a small smile, "You're funny and you like making jokes, right?" He nodded. "As long as you don't go overboard, like that time with the eggs and the balloons, people like funny boys. Especially girls." Naruto made a face and a gagging sound. Yugito chuckled. "Okay, maybe you're a little too young for that."

Hopping off the seat, the six-year old jumped into Yugito's arms, burying his head in the crook of her shoulder. "Okay, neechan. I'll try to make friends."

She smiled, "Good. Now–" Yugito stopped mid-sentence, causing Naruto to look up at her with a questioning look. Her ears twitched, and her dark eyes narrowed. Naruto knew that look. Uh oh…

Yugito pulled away from him, adjusting her towel as she stood up and walked over to the fridge. "Naruto, do you know what else girls like?" She asked, pulling out a half-empty gallon-sized bottle of milk, "_**Boys who don't peek on them!**_" she roared, whipping the bottle straight out of the open window, right into the leaves of the tall tree that stood right outside their apartment.

Thunk. _**Thud**_.

Naruto grimaced slightly as his sort-of-adopted-sister took a deep, calming breath, before turning back to him with the same smile she had just moments ago, "Well, since you've already made the ramen, I guess you can finish it." She said, patting his head as she walked past, "Finish up quickly and then go to bed. Don't forget to clean up."

The boy waited until he heard the door to her room close, before racing over to the open window. Standing on his toes, he looked down at the ground with a silly grin. "Ne, are you okay, Kakashi-ossan?"

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><p>Kakashi was an excellent ninja. In fact, he was one of the best that Konoha had to offer. He had completed countless dangerous and nearly-impossible missions. He was a student of the Yondaime Hokage. He was trained and operated as an ANBU operative for years. He copied nearly a thousand jutsu with his Sharingan. And Yugito Nii had bested him with a half-gallon bottle of milk.<p>

"I can't believe I hit the Great Copy Ninja Kakashi with a half-gallon bottle of milk."

Damn that woman.

The masked ninja crossed his arms, leaning against the kitchen counter of the small apartment. "It was a lucky shot." He replied, hearing Yugito snort as she poured a cup of tea into a small cup. Kakashi was used to this evening routine; when Naruto was asleep, Yugito always made tea for herself before going to bed. She drank it with three sugars and more milk than hot water, it might not even be called _tea_. After spending nearly a year as the duo's ANBU handler, he'd nearly memorized their daily schedules and habits, "You never used to fling things at me. I was caught off guard."

He purposely neglected the fact that he wasn't actually in the tree to _peek_ on her. He was actually enjoying some quiet reading time. But if he mentioned _that_, there was a good chance she'd throw a _full_ gallon of milk.

The woman turned and held the cup of steaming tea in her hands, finally changing into a simple shirt and loose pajama pants. Her hair, now dry, was tied back in a ponytail. "That was because I was giving you permission to observe. This time, not so much."

Kakashi chortled quietly, "Fair enough. I'll remember to ask next time."

"Alternatively, you could just knock on the door if you wanted to talk to me."

He waved his hand dismissively, before returning it to its position across his chest, "I find knocking to be quite boring."

Yugito took a sip of her milky tea, "Well, what did you want to talk about?"

The silver-haired man was silent for a moment, "How's Naruto?" Now that he'd been reassigned as a jonin leader, he hadn't been spending as much time watching over his late sensei's son as he'd like. Sure, Yugito was a force to be reckoned with on her own, and he knew Naruto was in safe hands with her. But…just it wasn't the same.

"He starts school tomorrow." The blonde replied, swirling her tea in her cup gently, "He's nervous, as all children are."

"It's going to be a difficult day for him tomorrow," Kakashi agreed, "But I wouldn't worry about it." He wasn't looking, but he could only imagine the brief, puzzled look on Yugito's face, "You know the law that Hokage-sama enforces, right? He'll be fine with the kids." There was a pause. "It's the adults I'd be more concerned about."

There was a quiet hum of agreement, "I won't be able to help him."

Since Yugito started living with Naruto, Kakashi could tell just how big of an impact _one _person did to the boy's life. He shed the fake smile he was so used to using, and opened up to the woman, something no one had been able to do before. He laughed, he cried, he acted like any boy his age should act. And Yugito's presence was enough deterrence against any villagers who even tried to get close to the boy; three weeks after she'd moved in with Naruto, a group of men decided to graffiti on their apartment door.

They spent five months in the hospital, and Yugito got a stern talking-to.

Kakashi chuckled, "Naruto's a tough kid. I know he can handle school. And you'll be around to make sure there aren't any crooked teachers purposely failing him."

"You really think that'll happen?"

He shrugged casually, "It's always better to make sure."

Yugito finished the last of her tea, setting the cup in the sink. "Then I guess I'll keep my eye out."

A quiet silence passed between the two. Yugito was used to his presence, and Kakashi hers. For the past year, he'd been like a shadow for her and Naruto, mostly out of protection, but also partly to watch _her_ specifically. After all, she was still a foreigner, and a foreign ninja, too. The Council had agreed to grant her asylum, but _only _if she agreed for at least a year of surveillance. And she agreed to it.

Kakashi suddenly perked up, "Oh, by the way, I'd almost forgotten!" He pushed off from the counter, rubbing his hand on the back of his head with a quiet chuckle, "I actually came because Hokage-sama wanted me to give this to you," the ninja reached into his vest and pulled out a small scroll, tossing it to the woman. She barely moved a muscle, only raising her arm to catch it between her fingers. "He wants to see you tomorrow."

Unfurling the scroll, the blonde skimmed through its contents with a deep sigh, "Not this again."

"He's a little persistent."

"He won't stop until I say yes, won't he?" Yugito held the scroll in one hand, the other making a quick hand seal as it burst into a small flame.

"After a while, I think he'll respect your wishes. But I agree with him." She gave Kakashi a cutting look. He held up his hands in defense. "Just my personal opinion."

Yugito placed a few fingers against her forehead, "Don't you have somewhere else to be, Kakashi? I heard Hokage-sama gave you another Genin team to fail tomorrow."

The masked ninja raised one shoulder in a half-shrug, "I'm not so sure about that. Maybe this team is _the one_." She gave him a look. "Okay, maybe not."

"Get out of my house, Kakashi. I'm going to bed."

He walked over to the opened window, hopping up and balancing on the thin windowsill. "I still think you should do it. Wish Naruto good luck for me tomorrow, will you?" Placing two fingers against his headband in a casual salute, Kakashi closed his eye in a smile before vanishing in a burst of swirling leaves.

Yugito closed the window, drawing the curtains close. Striding across the small living room, she flicked the light switch off, blanketing the apartment in darkness. She didn't mind, her eyes adjusted to the sudden change quickly; she guessed it was a benefit of having a fiery giant demon cat within her body. Making her way towards the small hallway, she paused in front of a door, the orange _Naruto _painted on the door nearly glowing, even in the dim light. Pushing the door open slightly, Yugito peeked inside.

Naruto was sprawled out on the bed, the blanket already on the floor, and the pillow on his head resting against his feet.

With a small smirk, she closed the door gently.

_You'll do great tomorrow, Naruto. I know it._

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><p><strong>Note: <strong>This chapter was written at the same time as the Prologue, hence the quick update. Future updates, unfortunately, won't be as speedy.

If you couldn't already guess, this story is an AU. Things that happened, or will happen, won't; the Hyuga Incident being one of them. Yugito's presence in Konoha will definitely change things, and her non-presence in Kumo will have a lasting effect, too.

I skipped a giant chunk of the series, particularly when they were talking about the backstories of a few of the characters, such as Kakashi. The dates and years and ages of some of the events and characters might be a little off, but again, it's an AU, so don't think too much of them. I'll try to craft my own story within the canon outlines, but some things might stray out. Be warned of potential cat jokes in future chapters.

Thank you for reading. Please review, if you'd like.


	3. You Will Deny Me Three Times

**Kindred Spirits**

**Chapter 2 – _You Will Deny Me Three Times_**

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><p>"Naruto, if you keep pulling my shirt like that, I'm going to walk out of here with a dress."<p>

Slowly, Yugito pried the boy's hands off her shirt, crouching down to face him. A part of her mind hoped that he didn't stretch it too much from all the pulling (it was one of her favorites, so much so that she'd actually brought it with her from Kumo). With her meeting with the Hokage later in the day, she really should have been wearing her shinobi uniform so she wouldn't have to change later. But it _was_ customary for relatives (or in her case, guardians) to attend the Academy's Entrance Ceremony, and the last thing she wanted was to stick out even _further _by showing up in full military gear. "Don't tell me you're still scared after I let you have that illegal ramen last night."

The boy puffed his cheeks and shook his head, "I'm not scared! Ninjas don't get scared, neechan!" he declared, stomping one foot to prove his point. He crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm not scared at all."

She ruffled his hair, about to say something about how even the best ninjas get scared sometimes before her train of thought came to a screeching halt as she tilted her head in curiosity, "Do you really have to wear those goggles?"

Naruto grinned widely and adjusted the bright green goggles that rested on his forehead. "Yep. My goggles are the best." Fortunately for Yugito, she noted with a quiet sigh of relief, the rest of his school clothes weren't as loud as his choice of eyewear. A simple green shirt with a red symbol of Konoha in the center and off-white shorts, completed with a blue backpack and sandals.

"But _why_ do you have to wear them?"

"'Coz I like them."

"Where did you get it from, anyway?" Yugito brought her hand to his forehead, extending her index finger and placing it firmly against one of the goggles' lenses in a poke, "I'm pretty sure I'd remember buying something so obnoxious."

"Hokage-jiji gave them to me. And since he gave them to me, they've got to be special, right, neechan?" Naruto said, before going off on an enthusiastic explanation that he'd planned it all last night, and how he was going to make_ so many friends for sure_ if he showed up with goggles that the _Third Hokage_ had given _him_ specifically. Because the Hokage was cool. So by extension, he'd be cool too.

Oh, the logic of children. "Since you put it that way, I guess you could wear them at school." Yugito shrugged casually, standing up and dusting her pants. She gave his head a quick pat. "Go line up with the other kids. I think the Ceremony's about to begin."

Naruto nodded slowly, taking a deep breath, before making his way towards the front of the Academy, where the new students lined up in straight rows. As he passed through, Yugito could hear whispers, with parents muttering quietly about _why that boy was there_ and how they _hope he doesn't taint their children_ or even how they _wish he'd go and just die already_. The Nibi Jinchuuriki clenched her jaw, her hands curling up into fists as she took her place amongst the adults that gathered behind the students.

The whispers stopped. Maybe the mass of killing intent that radiated from her had something to do with it.

The Academy's school bells tolled, signalling the start of the new school year. The murmurs settled down as the Third Hokage appeared on top of a small stage in front of the gathered crowd. As the old Hokage began his welcoming speech, Yugito took the time to look around, at the students that stood fidgeting or in awe, and at the parents that stood silently watching. She could spot some familiar faces; Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Choza Akimichi stood beside each other, as expected. Her ears twitched slightly, picking up the quiet buzzing from Shibi Aburame's bugs, and as much as Yugito hated it, the noise sent a brief shiver up her spine.

She didn't even need to look to know that Tsume Inuzuka was far, far away. Yugito made sure of it.

But there was a feeling snaking through her skin. Turning her head, two pairs of dark eyes were locked in a staring contest as the woman from Kumo found herself face to face with Fugaku Uchiha. It was only a second before the Uchiha let out a quiet scoff and returned his attention back to the front. By now, the Hokage's welcome speech had finished, and instructors were handing out Entrance papers to the waiting students. Teeth grit, Yugito forced herself to turn towards the Hokage, crossing her arms under her chest with a silent huff.

Gods, she hated Fugaku Uchiha. But it wasn't so bad, she knew Fugaku Uchiha hated her, and Naruto, too. He was a member of Konoha's council, so he was privy to the secret sealed inside her body. And Yugito was quite sure he hated Naruto for the same reason. So really, it was a fair playing field. She'd heard it had something to do with the Kyūbi's attack, but other than that, she wasn't quite sure. Maybe someone he loved died then. That seemed to be the reason why most people tended to stay away from Naruto. But it didn't excuse him for being a _total_ asshole. Fugaku Uchiha was the only member of the Council that rejected the motion of making her a ninja of Konoha.

Yugito didn't hold grudges, but she was going to hold _that _against him for a _long _time.

The instructors had dismissed the students. Children began to file towards their waiting guardians, and Yugito instantly went to search for the obnoxiously blond spiky hair that belonged to her younger adopted brother. It wasn't that hard; he trailed at the back of the crowd, an envelope tucked between his arm, and his hands shoved in his pockets. Another boy walked just ahead of Naruto, and Yugito spared a wandering eye to see him approaching Fugaku.

Poor kid.

"So, ready for the day?" she asked as she approached Naruto, causing the boy to look up at her with a crooked grin.

"You bet, neechan!" he replied, holding up his entrance packet, "I'm gonna graduate at the top of the class!"

Yugito cocked an eyebrow with a smirk, "Oh, yeah?"

Naruto grinned wider, "And then you'll have to buy me ramen because I'll be the best."

"Hold on, I never made that promise."

"But you're gonna do it anyway. Like how you're gonna buy me ramen today."

Damn. The boy was getting too clever for his own good. Yugito _was_ planning to treat Naruto to a few bowls at Ichiraku's as a treat on his first day of school… "And who says I'm going to buy you ramen?" The boy looked up at her with narrowed eyes and a smile that stretched from one ear to the other. "…three bowls, and that's it."

With a whoop, Naruto ran over and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her shirt, "You're the best, neechan!"

The elder jinchuuriki placed her hand on top of his head, "Just study hard, okay, Naruto?"

With a nod, he pulled away and closed his hand in a fist, "Don't worry neechan. When I'm Hokage, I'll make ramen free, so you won't have to buy it for me anymore."

"I don't think that's a good idea. But you can buy me tekkadon instead." Yugito reached over and poked Naruto on the forehead against his goggles, much to his protest, "I have a meeting with the Hokage now. You're going to be okay?"

"Yeah. You're gonna come pick me up after, right?"

"Of course. Oh, and Naruto?"

"Yeah, neechan?"

"…no pranks today, got it?"

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, but no."<p>

This was not the first time Yugito faced the Third Hokage in this manner. In fact, this was the third time she stood before him like this. And her answer hadn't changed from the last two times she was in the same position.

The old Hokage exhaled, with a knowing hum and a cloud of smoke, "Still no, hm?"

"Not yet. Not now."

Sarutobi rested his elbows on his desk, intertwining his fingers as he faced the kunoichi in front of him. Yugito had changed out of her casual wear and into more proper ninja attire; she had been summoned by the Hokage on a matter relating to her job and needed to look the part. Beneath Konoha's standard olive-green flak jacket, she wore a simple long sleeved shirt, deep purple in colour, the sleeves rolled up to her elbow and pants of the same colour, with a red sash tied around her waist barely peeking out from under the vest. Her forearms and ankles were wrapped in bandages, with a chain of turquoise beads strung tightly around her left arm. On her forehead and barely hidden beneath side-swept bangs was a headband, with the symbol of Konohagakure etched in the metal.

"Yugito, I understand you still have reservations, but…"

"Hokage-sama, with all due respect, I _asked_ to be demoted for a reason." Yugito interjected, "It's been two years, but with _what I am_, there's no doubt Kumo will still be searching for me for retrieval. I can't risk that. Not yet."

There was silence as Sarutobi reclined back into his seat. "In my many years in this village," he said after a moment, "I have rarely seen a Jonin-level shinobi willingly step down in rank and serve as a Chunin."

"This is the third time you've asked me to let myself be promoted."

"A few members of the Council are making a fuss about your rank," the Hokage explained, taking another puff of smoke, "You have the skills and the capacity to serve as an elite A-ranked Jonin. Another Jonin in our ranks would allow us to accept more higher-ranked missions. More higher-ranked missions completed means…"

"…more money for Konoha's economy." Yugito sighed, putting a hand against her forehead, "Of course." She shook her head, "I know. And when the time comes, I will be more than happy to accept a position as a Jonin. But for now, I think…it would be best to remain a Chunin and serve within the village."

The Hokage sighed, but nodded. He understood Yugito's choice to step down in rank, and he respected it. She had sacrificed and betrayed for Konoha's sake, when she knew very well she had no reason to. Were she a regular ninja, she'd have placed herself in a very dangerous position. But she was no ordinary ninja, making the situation even more volatile, and her safety was now Konoha's responsibility. And as much as Sarutobi disliked thinking of it, Yugito made an _excellent_ scapegoat when it came to dealing with Naruto.

She was a jinchuuriki who could control her beast. Naruto was a jinchuuriki who could not. By putting them together, the possibilities were endless.

If Yugito wanted to stay a Chunin, then she would. There was logic in keeping her within Konoha, at least for the moment. But it made for a very annoyed Council who were promised an extremely skilled A-rank ninja within Konoha's army and had yet to collect.

He could already imagine the headache he'd be getting as soon as he informed them of her third denial. "Very well. I will ask again next year. Hopefully that will be enough time for you to think about this. Until then, we can have you assigned for some administrative tasks. Missions within the Fire Country are acceptable?"

She nodded slowly, "I suppose that would be alright."

"Good. I will have this arranged." Sarutobi took a puff of smoke after a moment of silence, "I saw Naruto at the Entrance Ceremony today. He's getting to be quite big."

There was a small, knowing smile, "He is. He'd be a lot taller if he stopped trying to sneak ramen when I'm not looking."

The old Hokage gave a quiet chuckle, "That boy has been eating ramen since the day he could eat solid food. Please tell me you've been feeding him healthier food."

"Of course I have. I even packed him a lunch today."

"Have you told him anything?"

Yugito shook her head, "No, he doesn't anything about that."

Sarutobi let out a hum and intertwined his fingers, "Now that he is starting school, I do believe it would be no better time to begin with some light training, especially in the…_chakra _control aspect."

The blonde caught the hint and closed her eyes with a slight nod, "I see."

"I'll not ask what kind of training you underwent, but I'm confident you will be able to teach Naruto something in regards to his _tenant_."

The blonde woman's brows furrowed as she clenched her fist. She could teach Naruto something; that much was certain. But just thinking about what _she _had undergone made the pits of her stomach churn. And the low rumbling in the back of her mind told her that she wasn't the only one who thought the same of it. With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and unclenched her fist, "Absolutely. Leave it to me."

"Good." The Hokage pulled a folder from one of the many piles of paperwork that surrounded his desk, "I will leave you to it. Keep me updated on his progress."

She lowered her head in a small bow, "I will."

* * *

><p><strong>OM<strong>**AKE - Naruto's Lunch**

Naruto tilted his head, looking down at the opened bento box on his desk. After a moment, he tilted it to the other side. He scratched his cheek with the end of his chopsticks, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. There was a glob of dark…brown…reddish stuff smothered over some rice, and some orange stuff that was probably a few carrots cut like cats, but…

"Hey, what's that you got? Is that a bento?" a voice said. Turning his head, Naruto shrugged as a chubby boy with swirls on his cheeks poked his head over his shoulder from the row of desks above his. Another boy sat beside him, his feet propped up on the desk as he let out a lazy yawn. Naruto turned his attention back to the chubby kid, who was stuffing his face with a bag of chips. There was a stack of empty bento boxes on the desk, too.

"I dunno what it is," the blonde replied, holding up the box for the chubby kid to see, "My neechan made it, but I can't tell what it's supposed to be."

Chubby kid sniffed at the lunch, "It smells like…tuna, I think. With some fish cakes and vegetables."

He looked down at his bento with furrowed brows, "Is tuna supposed to be this colour?"

"Well yeah," the chubby kid replied. He shoved another handful of chips in his mouth before continuing, "It'll look like that if you burn it."

Naruto groaned and slammed his head on his desk. He loved his Yugito-neechan. He really, _really_ did. She was the best person _ever_, better than Hokage-jiji, or even Kakashi-ossan. But she really, _really_…couldn't cook.

"Neechaaaaaaaaaaaaaan…_why_…"

The Third Hokage jolted slightly when Yugito sneezed unexpectedly.

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> I apologize this chapter might seem a bit boring. I'll address a few things brought up in some of the reviews on the last chapter:

_-If I had one criticism it would be the drunk men thing._

Nothing has been as overused as the drunk men thing. I had a different scene in mind, but it didn't fit the characterizations I was going for. So, I went for the convenience of the drunk men thing. The original scene will pop up later (it happens in a grocery store). But thanks for pointing it out!

_-Also, will this be taking place from Yugitos perspective or Narutos? _

I'll put it at around 70% Yugito's, 20% Naruto's and 10% others.

_-I think the scroll that aggravated Yugito was trying to convince her to take a Genin team?_

I explained it in this chapter, but let me reiterate: it was to ask her to be promoted to Jonin. Yugito purposely asked to be demoted to Chunin despite that she already was a Jonin in Kumo. She did this for her safety, as well as Naruto's. As of right now, I have no plans for her taking a Genin team.

As for Naruto's lunch, it was supposed to be tekkadon.

Oh! And I've also put a link on my profile with a picture on how I envisioned Yugito's Chunin/Jonin outfit looks like as a Konoha ninja. I'll be putting up more doodles and sketches there, so please take a look!

Thank you for reading. Please review, if you'd like.


	4. Orange is the New Leaf Green

**Kindred Spirits**

**Chapter 3 – **_**Orange is the New Leaf Green**_

* * *

><p>Pointed eyes darted from left to right, narrowed and searching for anything that might seem out of place. She was an excellent tracker, no thanks to the Nibi's influence, but her opponent might be even better at the art of camouflage than she was at finding people. Not only that, but she was in the middle of one of the many forests within the borders of Konoha. Surrounded by tall trees, branches spread above with small rays of sunlight peeking through the spaces in between the leaves, and trunks wider than anything she'd ever seen before, Yugito knew that she was definitely outmatched in this terrain.<p>

Well, she was at a disadvantage. But that only made things interesting.

Her ears twitched as they picked up a quiet rustle. Turning her head, her eyes focused on one particular tree, out of the many within the forest. It looked like any other tree, but her gut had a nagging feeling, and she'd long learned to trust it when it came to situations like this. It was always better to be safe than sorry, anyway. Gloved hands flashed through a series of quick hand seals in a blur, ending with two fingers and her thumb positioned in a half-ring around her mouth as Yugito took a deep breath.

"_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu_!" Gathering her chakra in her mouth, Yugito blew out a large fireball, aimed directly at the suspicious tree. Kakashi had taught her the technique after learning about her affinity for fire-type jutsu, noting that it was something that most Konoha jonin knew how to perform. A few of the Uchiha weren't exactly happy that she, a foreign ninja (seriously, it's been three years and they still called her 'that foreigner') learned one of their sacred techniques, but after seeing her use it, they had to grudgingly admit that her variation was oddly _unique._

No matter how often they tried, they could never replicate her blue flames.

The fireball struck the tree and those in the near vicinity, ravaging the old bark of the trees. After a few seconds, the technique ended, the flames whittling down into a small trickle as wood burned blue in front of her.

Yugito's eyes narrowed. Wait a second…something was wrong.

Racing over, the blonde examined the burning trees and charred foliage. She had aimed her fire to hit seven trees, but only six burned in front of her. But before she could do anything further, a root burst forth from the ground beneath, forcing Yugito to leap backwards. The root snaked upwards, following her every move, and before long, it was followed by more roots and branches…until soon, she found herself surrounded by them. Tucking her knees to her chest, she spun in the air slightly, before uncurling as she placed her foot on one of the trees with the intention of using it to leap higher. But before she could do that, a vine emerged from the tree, wrapping around Yugito's ankle.

With a yelp, the blonde suddenly found herself hanging upside down on the side of a tree, her foot caught within the root that seemed oddly out of place jutting out from halfway up the trunk. Soon, more branches emerged from the bark, wrapping around Yugito's limbs, with a particularly large one going across her chest.

"_Magen: Jubaku Satsu_, completed."

Yugito tilted her head down, as far as the branches allowed her, to see a particular figure seemingly appearing from within the tree. "Did you really have to bind me upside down, Kurenai?"

The black-haired woman raised one shoulder in a shrug. Only her head and the right half of her torso were visible, but the hand that was visible was casually spinning a kunai by the ring around her finger. "I thought it'd be more fun to try out a different way to trap a person. What do you think?"

"Well, it's effective," Yugito said, pursing her lips in thought, "Holding someone upside down is useful, especially if you're trying to get something out of them."

"That's what I thought too. But with the blood rushing to the head, I'd think it would have to be a quick interrogation."

"How _did _you manage to get me _upside down_, anyway?"

Kurenai grinned as she disappeared into the tree once more, "Now _that_, you'll just have to figure out yourself."

With a groan, Yugito threw her head back against the trunk of the tree in exasperation. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered under her breath as the nails on her hands slowly extended and hardened into claws. She _could_ just use the Nibi's chakra and dispel the illusion with sheer chakra strength, but Kurenai was only a chunin and wasn't privy to her little secret. And as good as friends they were, Yugito wasn't sure she was quite ready to reveal it yet. So, she'd have to improvise with the second best way to break out of an illusion.

Her right hand was stuck with her palm down, but fortunately, her left hand was not, so with a flick of her finger, her claws easily drew blood from her hand with a quick swipe.

Kurenai huffed, her hands around Yugito's ankle in a tight grip, crouching on one of the tree's natural branches that she'd disguised with the illusion, "That's cheating."

Her skin began to heal as the cut she'd inflicted on her palm slowly closed. Her glove, unfortunately, seemed like it was in need of replacing. "It's not cheating." Yugito looked at her foot, still within Kurenai's clutches, "And I'm guessing you're not going to let me go that easily?"

The other woman barely had time to shake her head before Yugito had swung her other foot straight towards Kurenai's head in a kick. Leaning back to dodge the kick, Kurenai released her hold on Yugito's ankle, finding mere seconds to cross her arms over her chest before the foot reversed its direction, coming down in a sideways axe kick. The force sent the genjutsu wielder flying back some distance, but Yugito didn't expect her opponent to go down with a single kick. As the blonde landed in a crouch on the forest floor, Kurenai had somersaulted in the air and landed on a tree.

"Loser buys lunch?" she asked, brandishing a kunai in each of her bandaged hands.

A clawed finger pointed up, before curling, beckoning with a catty grin, "Get ready to pay, Yūhi."

Channeling chakra to their feet, the two women lunged at each other. Kurenai moved first, flicking a kunai towards Yugito, her free hand immediately reaching for another. The thrown kunai was deflected, bouncing off hardened nails, landing harmlessly in a nearby tree trunk as Yugito brought her arm back and thrust towards Kurenai's chest. Her nails scraped against a new kunai as the two women fell towards the ground. Spinning mid-air, Kurenai threw her two kunai, forcing the blonde to alter the trajectory of her fall to avoid them. Her claws retracting as she fell, Yugito's hands blurred into signs.

"_Nezumi Kedama!_" she spat out a small, mouse-shaped ball of blue fire, bursting into smaller flames that shot straight for the black-haired chunin. Muttering curses under her breath, Kurenai landed on the ground with a roll, easing into a cartwheel to avoid the explosive blue flames.

"I thought this was taijutsu only!" she called out, leaping to the side to avoid another projectile. Yugito landed not long after, claws once again brandished as she sped towards her opponent at dizzying speed.

"We never established that!" was the reply as the last of the hairballs exploded, failing to strike its target. The blonde made a series of swipes and slashes, her movements a blur to the untrained eye. But Kurenai was no slouch at taijutsu herself, and managed to deflect and parry most of the assault. Still, Yugito could have _easily _gone for a faster assault, but she reminded herself that this was just a spar, and she wasn't trying to kill anyone.

She would've already done so if she really wanted to.

One of the swipes managed to slip past and struck target, only for Yugito to be slightly surprised to find her nails stuck in a chunk of wood where there should have been blood.

_Damn. She switched out with a Substitution_, Yugito thought, leaping back a few steps, cursing quietly as she tried to pull her claws out of the log. After a moment, she finally managed to get the blasted thing off, tossing it aside as she her hands held across her chest in her standard taijutsu position. Dark eyes scanned the area around her, ears straining to pick up the slightest noise for any hint at where foe might have hidden herself. Kurenai was a master of genjutsu, and with it came the skill to be able to hide flawlessly with her surroundings. It was one of the reasons why Yugito enjoyed sparring with her so much; just _finding _her was a challenge by itself. It had been a little over a year that the two had first met, through Kakashi, of all people. He thought Yugito needed more friends in the village; she hit him for patronizing her. Then he introduced her to Kurenai Yūhi, another chunin, and the two hit it off.

Both were equally (and constantly) annoyed at Kakashi's antics, chronic lateness and choice of literature. It was the bond that formed their odd friendship. The fact that she didn't seem to hold hate for Naruto was another factor, a damn important one in Yugito's opinion. From Kurenai, she met Asuma Sarutobi and Maito Guy, and then one thing led another, and Yugito found herself slowly being assimilated in their particular circle of friends. Mostly chunin and jonin ninjas, everyone in the group had attended the Academy together and known each other for years. At first, Yugito felt a little out of place. She was around their age, but her circumstance made her childhood experience back in Kumo…less than savoury.

She never really had friends. Well, maybe two or three back home. So finding herself suddenly with a large group of comrades was a new experience.

While Yugito was briefly caught in her own thoughts, a black shape made of hair slowly rose from the ground behind her. As the figure emerged, hair receded as Kurenai's hair shortened to its natural length, unwrapping from around her body. Kunai in hand, she pressed the blade against Yugito's neck, "I'll take an octopus bowl."

A small smile, "What, no drinks today?"

The log that had been used earlier whizzed from out of nowhere, striking Kurenai's back and quickly followed by the bottom of Yugito's foot in a flying kick, sending the woman tumbling forward and crashing to the ground. Kurenai slammed her fist on the forest floor in frustration as Yugito's real body landed, kicking up a few loose leaves, and her clone vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Dammit, I _swear_ I had you!"

Fists raised in victory, Yugito laughed, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet as she skipped towards her now-defeated opponent, "Free lunch!"

"Laugh it up, you'll be the one buying me lunch next time." Kurenai muttered, gripping onto her friend's offered hand as she was pulled up into a standing position, "Damn. Why aren't you a jonin again?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You've declined the position for the _fourth_ time!"

"Kurenai, _please_," Yugito snapped, before taking a deep breath, "It's complicated. Right now, I'm content with staying chunin." Sensing that the topic was best left for another day, the other woman nodded slowly, muttering a quiet apology. It was hard explaining her motives for staying chunin without revealing her status as a jinchuuriki. The simple fact made her a target for Kumo's hunter-nin, and that was a risk she couldn't take. Not yet. Not when Naruto still needed her around.

It was true that she was a competent ninja. One of the best Kumo had produced. But she was still just one person.

"It doesn't matter now. What's important is figuring out what I want to eat for lunch since you're treating me." Yugito put a finger on her cheek as a cheshire grin grew on her face, "Fine dining, maybe?"

"Yugito, I swear–" Kurenai began, before, with a squeak, she was pulled down into the ground. Another pair of hands burst from the ground beneath Yugito's feet as she, too, was dragged down, leaving the two women staring at each other in mild shock (Kurenai) and annoyance (Yugito).

"Yo,"

"I guess this means you two are buying _us _lunch, eh?"

Kakashi and Asuma shared a fist bump as they stood looking at the two heads poking out of the ground.

"Asuma_, seriously?_"

"What the hell are you two doing here?"

The masked ninja, crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders, "Well you see, Asuma here told me he spotted a cat getting stuck a tree and asked me to help get it down."

Asuma coughed in his hand in something that sounded like a chortle, while Yugito let out a quiet hiss.

The joke went completely over Kurenai's head.

* * *

><p>Yugito pressed a hand to her forehead as she suppressed a sigh, "For the last time, Naruto, <em>I'm not buying that.<em>"

The boy let out a confused wail as he looked at the brand new tracksuit he was wearing, "Why not?"

"Because it's _bright orange_."

It was already mid-afternoon, and classes at the academy had ended for the day. Usually, whenever Yugito picked Naruto up after school, it usually meant that they were going train together. Since he started attending the Academy one year ago, she'd help him with the areas of the ninja arts that he'd have trouble with, and then go on to teach him how to focus and control his chakra. That was what took up most of their time during training sessions. But today, much to the seven-year old's vocal protests, they were going shopping for proper ninja clothes at _Monohoshi's_, a well-known clothier for ninjas, and a store often frequented by chunin and jonin.

The shopkeeper had given Naruto a disgusted look when he walked into the store, but as soon as Yugito entered after him, it was quickly discarded into a more…professional expression. It was a good thing Naruto didn't notice the shopkeeper's initial reluctance, or the brief surge of chakra Yugito released in response to it.

She intended for the shopping trip to be quick; a pair of replacement gloves, and maybe some new shirts and pants for Naruto. But as soon as the two entered the store and the boy had seen the gaudily coloured tracksuit, Yugito knew this _wasn't_ going to be as quick as she hoped it would be.

"Why can't I get it?" Naruto asked, turning around to face himself in the mirror, posing proudly with his hands on his hips, "Orange is an awesome colour!"

"How do you expect to sneak around wearing an orange tracksuit?"

"I dunno, use a sneaking jutsu or something."

Groaning, Yugito placed her head in her hands. This was unbelievable. "Can you _please_ pick a less obnoxious colour, Naruto?"

Shoulders dropping, the younger blonde pouted as he unzipped the coat, trudging back into the change room. Minutes later, he emerged, having changed out of the orange outfit and into his regular t-shirt and shorts. His green goggles were around his neck as he regretfully put the tracksuit back on the hanger and trudged over to his sister, who by then had moved to the section of the store displaying various styles of hand covers.

"Oh, now you're just moping," Yugito remarked, examining a pair of fingerless gloves as Naruto stood behind her, arms crossed over his chest with a frown, "Naruto, ninjas don't wear orange."

"But I _want_ to wear orange."

"And _I_ said no."

"Well you wear purple."

The elder blonde picked up another set of gloves; this particular pair had a strip of metal on the back for added protection, "My purple doesn't glow in the dark."

Naruto let out a hum, his eyes closing in thought as he scratched a whiskered cheek. He was a stubborn boy, Yugito thought to herself as she tested the fit of one of the gloves, but she could be _just_ as stubborn as he was. A no was a no, and even though he didn't like it, he'd just have to deal with it. There was _no_ way she was going to let him run around in a neon orange getup.

"Nee-_ee_-chan!"

An eyebrow rose. Whenever Naruto called her in that sing-song voice, it meant he was planning something. With a sigh, Yugito turned around, "Naruto, I said, no ora—"

Naruto grinned as he held up a piece of clothing, "But this orange _doesn't glow in the dark_!" In his hands was a black jacket, with sleeves coloured…a deep, rusty orange. It had a high collar with a white zipper running down the middle, and a red swirl on each arm, "So can I get this jacket, neechan?"

Yugito pinched the bridge of her nose with a heavy groan, "Why do you like orange so much, anyway?"

He shrugged, turning the jacket around to face him, "I dunno. I just really do. It's like the colour was made for me!"

She was going to say no. She was completely prepared to put her foot down on the orange, and force Naruto to put the jacket back where he found it and get something that was coloured with something less painful to the eyes. Ninjas _did not_ wear orange. Especially in a terrain surrounded by leaves, orange just stuck out like an obvious target. _Most _people chose to wear dull shades of green. But the way Naruto's eyes lit up at the sight of the stupid colour was not something Yugito would be able to change, no matter how absurd it was.

One day, she'd get to the bottom of this orange business.

"Fine, I'll buy the damn jacket," Yugito sighed, running her hand down the side of her face, and Naruto's smile grew wider, "But when you graduate from the Academy, you're not going to wear it on your missions. Understood?"

"But neechan…"

"I asked, _understood_?"

"…yes, neechan."

She had a few years to persuade Naruto to drop the colour. Surely, that was more than enough time.

* * *

><p><strong>Jutsu Used:<strong>

_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu – _Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique (Yugito)

_Magen: Jubaku Satsu_ – Demonic Illusion: Tree Bind Death (Kurenai)

_Nezumi Kedama _– Mouse Hairball (Yugito)

_Kawarimi no Jutsu – _Body Replacement Technique (Kurenai)

_Kami no Meisai_ – Hair Camouflage (Kurenai)

_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ – Shadow Clone Technique (Yugito)

_Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu_ – Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique (Kakashi and Asuma)

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>I wrote this chapter because I was curious to see how well I would do writing a fight, mostly to see if I was capable of writing a fight in the first place. I think I did decently, but any comments on how I could improve would be welcomed. Also, the only reason why Kakashi and Asuma appeared at the end of Kurenai and Yugito's spar was because I just _really_ wanted to make that joke.

The chapter's title is a reference to Naruto's orange jumpsuit. Yugito is _not _having it.

Please leave a review, I have a great time reading them and they really motivate my writing. Happy holidays!


	5. Misery Loves Company

**Kindred Spirits**

**Chapter 4 – **_**Misery Loves Company**_

* * *

><p>A ninja's life was full of unexpected surprises, both of the good variety, and the bad. It was a skill to be able to perceive the unperceivable, to read beneath the underneath…to expect things not meant to be expected. But this surprise was on a completely different level. And if Yugito was going to be perfectly honest with herself, she never saw it coming.<p>

But, she was a ninja; a shinobi of Konoha. Shinobi were people who endured. And if there was one thing Yugito was good at, it was enduring. This wouldn't be a problem at all.

"Tea sounds lovely."

Mikoto Uchiha smiled widely, "There's a small tea shop not too far from here."

With a little more than a polite nod, Yugito followed the Uchiha matriarch towards the small tea shop around the corner. She supposed there were exceptions to every family, and Mikoto Uchiha was certainly an outlier among members of the clan. For one, she was actually a very pleasant woman; polite, kind, and gentle. She actually smiled, which, in Yugito's opinion, seemed to be a skill that many Uchiha lacked. And, much to the shock of the Nibi Jinchuuriki and former Jonin of Kumogakure, Mikoto had been the one who approached her with an invitation for tea.

The tea shop was small, tucked into a small side street that not many people seemed to pass. Neither woman seemed to mind the quiet as they were ushered into a booth by a waitress. Mikoto ordered a pot of rice tea and a plate of sweet cakes, and Yugito asked for a cup of green tea with milk on the side.

If the Uchiha noticed the ratio of milk to water in Yugito's cup, she said nothing about it.

"You're taking care of that boy, Naruto-kun, right?" Mikoto asked after a long sip of tea. Yugito blinked slightly at the unexpected question. "He's in the same class as my son Sasuke."

The blonde pursed her lips lightly. Sasuke…Sasuke…why did that name sound familiar?

_There's this guy in my class, neechan, but he's always so grumpy 'cus all the girls keep bothering him. I think his name's Sasuke or something…but me an' Kiba call him Chicken Head._

"Oh, Sasuke…yes, Naruto's told me…about him."

Mikoto smiled, "Is that so? He usually keeps to himself, no matter how many times I tell him to go make some friends."

Yugito chuckled quietly, scratching her ear slightly, "Well…you know how boys can be."

"Perhaps we could introduce them to each other; they might end up being friends! Sasuke's always had some trouble making them, and his older brother isn't really helping with that problem. I'm sure Naruto-kun would be able to help with that. He seems like a very nice boy."

Oh, Yugito wasn't so sure about Naruto being a 'very nice boy'. A rumbling snicker within her mind reminded the blonde about the bucket he had positioned atop his bedroom door that left her scrubbing neon orange paint from her hair and clothes for three hours. Yugito coughed into her hand, silencing the inner laughter, "Of course, that sounds like a good idea. It's always good for children to, uh, get to know each other."

Or something like that. She wasn't a parent, and her understanding of children was mediocre, at best. Mikoto was the real 'parent' in this conversation, and a seasoned one, too. Yugito had heard about her older son from Kakashi. She'd never met Itachi Uchiha, but from the way she'd heard other people speak about him, she had a pretty good idea what kind of person he was. He was a genius, so she'd been told, and rose through the ranks at an alarming speed. He didn't speak much and wasn't a very social person.

So, Fugaku was an asshole, Itachi was solitary, and, if Naruto's reporting was accurate, Sasuke was a "_loner that tries too hard to be cool but actually isn't and I could totally beat him in taijutsu if I really wanted to_" (his words, not hers). Now if only the two boys inherited Mikoto's pleasantness…that would've been a real shocker.

The Uchiha laughed quietly with a small shake of her head, before her eyes lowered, her gaze directed at the steaming cup of tea between her hands. The smile was still on her face, but it was different, more apologetic. Yugito's eyebrow rose slightly. If an Uchiha was about to _apologize_ to _her_, then she'd just about seen everything.

And she'd only just turned twenty, too.

"I'm just glad Naruto-kun has someone in his life now," Mikoto said in a quiet voice, "It must have been so hard for him to grow up by himself. And my family hasn't exactly made things easy."

Didn't she know it. "I'd like not to think about counterfactuals," the blonde replied, her tone casual even though her thoughts were elsewhere. Who knows what would happen to Naruto if she hadn't been there? If she considered how the villagers treated him _with _her around, she had a feeling she knew how his life would be if she _wasn't_.

Sure, Naruto's life wasn't easy, and it certainly wasn't going to get any easier. But if she compared her own childhood to his, she'd have to say that Naruto already had a leg up. And she'd be damned if she was going to let that change. Misery loves company, and no one understood misery quite like a jinchuuriki.

Mikoto's eyes drifted from her tea to meet Yugito's. The matriarch paused, as if she was unsure about what to say next, "I know my husband hasn't exactly been welcoming in the past few years. And this might seem awkward, coming from someone like me, but I do…apologize for the actions of Fugaku, and my family."

It took Yugito a solid two seconds to realize that her eyes were probably twice their current size, and the cup of tea in her hands was still half-way up to her slightly agape mouth.

She really had seen everything. Part of her mind wanted to glance out the window to see if it had started to rain yet.

"Please, there's no need to apologize." Was the reply after a moment of brief silence, "People have done worse without offering a passing 'sorry'."

"Fugaku has been under a lot of pressure recently," the Uchiha muttered, her finger gently tracing the rim of her teacup, "He hasn't been acting himself, and it has been worrying me. But please believe me when I say he is a good man, with a good heart." She sighed, "I don't want anyone to think he's a bad man. He really isn't. He only has the Clan's best interests at heart but sometimes…sometimes it doesn't always work out the way he wants it to."

Yugito pursed her lips ever so slightly, bringing her cup to her mouth to hide the gesture. The relationship between her and the Uchiha clan had been rocky since she became a ninja of Konoha. That was common knowledge, but maybe befriending its matriarch could bring about change. She was living there now, after all, and they were one of the oldest and most prominent families in the village. It was worth it to make _some_ effort to patch things up.

She began to wonder what god in the heavens thought it was a good idea to pair such a nice lady as Mikoto to a man like Fugaku, but ended that train of thought as soon as it left the station after reminding herself that she was supposed to be _nice_.

"I'm sure it must be difficult to head a family. But I don't mind the animosity. I'm used to it. As long as it's aimed at me, and not Naruto, it's fine."

Mikoto's brows furrowed slightly, "Naruto?"

"The secret that's locked within him…it's a target for the village's hatred. To grow up in an environment full of loneliness and hate is not healthy for children. Or for anyone." Her hands wrapped around the cup, her fingers intertwining, "But if there's one person, even if it's just _one_, that can shoulder the burden, and share the pain, it makes living…not so torturous." Yugito's gaze was directed at her hands, now, as a surge of memories burst through her mind. She willed them away.

Not now.

"To live a life alone, thinking that there's no one in the world to care for you is a life not worth living," she continued, "Naruto already receives scorn and mistrust from everyone else. If I can do something to alleviate it, it's worth doing."

"You speak like you've experienced this before."

"I have. No doubt Fugaku has told you the reason he dislikes me so much, and not the one about me being a foreign ninja."

Mikoto was quiet for a moment, before whispering, "He has."

"That life is a dangerous one. But all it takes is for one person to give them a hug, or a pat on the back; something the reassures them that they're loved, and they're wanted. Without that kind of affection, a child could grow up hating the world they live in, and everyone in it."

"And you…?"

"I grew up alone, with people who only saw me for the potential of perfecting a new tool," Yugito shrugged casually and glanced at her nails, as though the topic was nothing unusual, "I hated everyone: myself, the village, the world. Happy memories, you know."

"So what changed?"

"A rapping ushi-oni." The black-haired Uchiha stared at the blonde in mild confusion. "It's a joke."

There was a strange expression that passed through Mikoto's face. It was a mix of uncertainty and doubt, with a bit of confusion thrown in. Turning her head, Yugito drank the last of her tea, her eyes focused on the street outside. This entire exchange was confusing. She wasn't sure why she was having a heart-to-heart with a woman she'd just barely met, and the wife of the man that probably considered her Public Enemy no.2, but there was something peculiar about how Mikoto Uchiha was acting.

_Why _did she apologize to her, of all people, and why today, of all days? It made no sense to her, and there had to be a reason for her actions. But, as hard as Yugito tried to think, she couldn't figure it out. There was a chance she was just _genuinely _being nice…but that still didn't excuse everything. There was always a reason for an action, and as a ninja, _and a jinchuuriki_, Yugito was always suspicious when it came down to things like, well, this. There was always a catch.

The problem was figuring out what it was.

Suddenly, Mikoto perked up, and the gentle smile returned to her face, "Oh, classes are almost over, aren't they?"

Damn, was it afternoon already? "I didn't notice the time."

There was a quiet laugh as Mikoto placed a few bills on the table, beating Yugito by mere seconds, "Please, I was the one who invited you for tea. Why don't we pick up the two boys? I'm sure they'll still be at the Academy."

Well, there went Naruto's chakra training for the day. With a quiet sigh and a small smile, the blonde gave a quick nod. "Sure, why not."

* * *

><p>Naruto crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently as he paced around near the entrance of the Academy. This was no good. Class ended fifteen minutes ago, and his neechan was supposed to pick him up for their afternoon training.<p>

She was never late when it came to picking him up for their afternoon training. If there was one thing Yugito hated, it was being late. He would know; he'd seen how mad she got whenever Kakashi-ossan made her wait for more than five minutes. And that was _all _the time. And she was _scary_.

So the fact that he was there, _waiting _for her, was something real fishy.

The boy pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing into slits as he scratched his cheek. Did she go on a mission today? He was pretty sure she didn't say anything about a mission, and if she was called on a surprise mission she usually sent a cat or a message or something. But there were no cats, and there was no message. So where in the world was she?

There weren't a lot of people left at the Academy, and the ones that were left didn't seem to care that he was there. He'd gotten used to the looks and the whispers that everyone always gave him, mostly because his neechan always told him not to mind them. Sometimes she got them too, and she didn't care, so he wouldn't care either. Besides, his neechan liked _him, _and that was all that mattered, because she was awesome, and everyone else wasn't.

Yeah, she was awesome, and _late_.

Five more minutes passed, and Naruto's frustration only grew. This wasn't just fishy anymore, this was _extra _fishy. With a huff, he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his (totally awesome and totally orange) jacket and marched off to the back of the Academy, where the training dummies were kept. If neechan was going to be late, he might as well do some extra training while he waited for her. And when she _did _finally show up, he could show her how much better he'd gotten. And then make her buy him ramen.

A wide grin crept onto his face as he chuckled. Oh yeah, he'd totally make her buy twenty bowls; one bowl for every minute she made him wait for her.

The sound of metal hitting wood caught Naruto's ears as he turned into the training grounds, and his cheerful smile vanished. Oh, great, Sasuke the Show-off was there too. He hated that guy.

The Uchiha boy was practicing kunai throws, but, much to Naruto's delight, he didn't seem very good at it. With another mischievous chuckle, he raced behind one of the training posts behind Sasuke, peeking over to watch the other boy pick up another knife and toss it at the target.

It wasn't a total miss, but it still didn't hit the center. Sasuke's frustration was obvious, and Naruto's grin only grew wider. So Mister I-Get-Perfect-Grades-All-The-Time wasn't such a hot-shot after all. This was great. He was so going to tell Kiba about this tomorrow.

Sasuke huffed and walked to the tree stump, pulling out his kunai. Whistling, Naruto stuck his hands in his pockets once more, stepping out from behind the training post.

"What'cha doing?" he asked in a sing-song voice much to the black-haired boy's annoyance.

"Go away, you're annoying me," Sasuke replied, turning his back towards Naruto, "You're ruining my concentration."

"Doesn't seem like you're concentrating anyway, 'cus you keep missing."

"You were distracting me!"

"You didn't even know I was here!"

Fist clenched in a tight grip around the handle of his kunai, Sasuke stormed over to the blonde, holding up the knife, "If you're so good at it, you hit the target!"

"Alright, let a _real _ninja show ya' how it's done!" Naruto took the kunai and took his position in front of the stump.

He took a deep breath. So…his throwing wasn't that much better than Sasuke's. Even his neechan said that he still had a lot to work on, mostly because he always just threw without really aiming. But if he could hit the target _just this once_, then it was all he needed to prove that he really _was _better than that chicken-head. Closing one eye, Naruto held the kunai up behind his head, his tongue peeking out from the corner of his mouth as he aimed.

The kunai missed.

"I _missed!_" Naruto cried, hands pressed against his face in horror. He had _one_ shot to prove how much more awesome he was than Sasuke, and he _blew _it.

"That's because your arm was too high. What did I tell you about holding a kunai properly?"

The two boys turned around, and Naruto's eyes grew wide in shock. Soon after, they narrowed in annoyance, "Neechan! You're late!"

Yugito raised her hand in a casual hello, "Sorry, I got a bit caught up," she tilted her head slightly, motioning towards the woman that walked a few steps behind her. Naruto didn't know the second lady, but Sasuke seemed to, because he quickly ran over to her as soon as she appeared.

"Kaasan, what are you doing here?" he asked, and Naruto scrunched his nose. No way could such a pretty lady be Sasuke's mom. She looked too nice.

"Yugito-san and I had some tea, and it seemed we both lost track of time," the black-haired lady replied as she placed a gentle hand on his head. Naruto snickered at Sasuke's obvious discomfort. "Won't you introduce me to your friend, Sasuke?"

The boy shook his head, pointing at Naruto in defiance, "_Him?_ He's not my friend!"

"Yeah, my friends are a _lot_ cooler," the blonde replied, which resulted in a light knock on the head from Yugito.

"Naruto, play nice."

The blonde hmph'd under his breath as the nice black-haired lady approached him, offering her hand, "I'm Sasuke's mother, Mikoto Uchiha. You're Naruto-kun, aren't you?"

He shook her hand, his other scratching his head, as he gave her a cheeky grin, "That's me! Future Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Mikoto laughed, "Future Hokage, hm? You hear that, Sasuke? You should make friends with the future Hokage now, while you're young."

The other boy crossed his arms and turned his head, "I'd be a better Hokage than that guy."

Yugito grabbed the back of Naruto's jacket before he could pounce on Sasuke for the insult, "I said play nice," she remarked with a sigh, her eyes turning to the orange sky, "Hm. It's getting late. We should probably head out."

Naruto huffed, sticking his tongue out at Sasuke, "I'll be the _best_ Hokage ever, just wait and see," he said, before turning towards Mikoto with a smile, "But Sasuke can be my assistant."

The woman smiled once more and placed her hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "As long as you both grow up to be great ninja, I think I don't mind which one of you becomes Hokage."

Hands in the pockets of her pants, Yugito stood by the gates to the Academy, waiting as Naruto caught up, "It was nice to meet you, Uchiha-san," she called out, giving the other woman a small wave, "Let's have tea again sometime."

Mikoto only gave a small, numb nod as the two blondes walked off.

"…hopefully."

* * *

><p>Naruto walked a few steps behind his sister, his hands behind his head as the two walked down the streets of Konoha. They weren't usually busy during the early evening, as most people were at home, having dinner.<p>

"So that was the chicken-head boy you were telling me about?" Yugito asked. Naruto nodded.

"Yeah. I told you he wasn't as good as everyone thinks he is."

"But from what I saw, he still hit his targets more than you did."

The boy let out a small raspberry, "It's only 'cus I got distracted. If I had another chance, I'd have hit the target for sure."

She chuckled, "Oh yeah? Alright then, after we get dinner, we're going to do some throwing exercises at home."

"Ramen!?"

"Really?"

"C'mon neechan, please? You made me wait today!"

A sigh, "…_fine_."

Naruto let out a whoop and a laugh, skipping slightly ahead of Yugito. She was real tough when it came to his training and his schoolwork, but he could _always_ make her say yes to ramen. But after a moment, his eyes narrowed again, "Hey, neechan?"

"Hm?"

"Why was Sasuke's mom sad?"

Yugito tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

He shrugged slightly as they turned the corner. The bright lights from Ichiraku Ramen stood out against the dull alley, "I dunno. She looked sad. Her eyes were real sad."

Naruto cheerfully greeted Teuchi and bounced into one of the open seats as Yugito idled by the entrance, her hand held up, brushing the booth's curtain from her face.

…sad? For what reason would Mikoto Uchiha be sad?

Shaking the thought out of her mind, she entered the booth and took her seat.

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> Half of my mind is telling me that this chapter makes _no sense at all_, and I completely understand if no one gets what's going on. I completely rushed through this chapter because I honestly didn't really feel like writing it. But I felt like I couldn't just ignore the Uchiha Massacre, and this is as close as I'll get to dealing with that mess, because I really do _**not**_ want to deal with it. How will this affect the outcome of the event? Who knows!

I also want to thank you all for the reviews, favourites and follows! It means so much that you guys are interested in this silly story of mine. As a thank you, I'm gonna post a short Omake chapter sometime within the next few days, keep your eyes out for it! :)

Anyway, thank you for reading! Please leave a review!


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